AN ACT DEFINING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE JUDICIARY DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, PRESCRIBING THE QUALIFICATIONS AND FIXING THE COMPENSATION OF ITS STAFF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 5164, June 17, 1967 ]

AN ACT DEFINING THE FUNCTIONS OF THE JUDICIARY DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, PRESCRIBING THE QUALIFICATIONS AND FIXING THE COMPENSATION OF ITS STAFF, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. In the exercise of his power of general administrative supervision over Courts of First Instance and other courts of equivalent rank and city and municipal courts, the Secretary of Justice shall be assisted by the Judiciary Division and shall:

Section 2. The Judiciary Division shall have a chief to be known as Judicial Superintendent who shall receive the same compensation and shall have the same rank and be entitled to the same privileges as a district judge, an assistant judicial superintendent who shall receive an annual salary of seventeen thousand pesos Range 68 (P16,860 – P20,580) and such number of judicial supervisors whose salaries are hereinafter provided, as follows:

Section 3. The incumbent Assistant Judicial Superintendent, Senior Judicial Supervisors and Judicial Supervisors occupying positions affected by the preceding section at the time of the effectivity of this Act shall continue to occupy their respective positions and receive the salary increases herein provided without the necessity of any new appointments: Provided, That the present positions of legal researchers in the Judiciary Division are hereby converted into judicial supervisors and the incumbents thereof at the time of the effectivity of this Act shall occupy the highest resulting vacancies in the position enumerated in the preceding section and shall receive the salaries corresponding thereto also without the need of new appointments.

Section 4. The judicial superintendent and the assistant judicial superintendent shall be members of the bar, for at least ten years and possessed of the same qualifications as a district judge. The senior judicial supervisors and judicial supervisors shall be members of the bar for at least five and three years, respectively: Provided, That this provision shall not apply to the incumbent legal researchers whose positions are converted to judicial supervisors in accordance with the preceding section.

Section 5. The Judicial Superintendent, the Assistant Judicial Superintendent, and the Judicial Supervisors shall have authority to administer oaths in the performance of their official duties and functions.

Section 6. With the exception of the eight other officials of the Judiciary Division who shall receive the following annual compensation:

all other incumbent personnel in the Judiciary Division are hereby maintained and they shall each be entitled to a salary increase of one grade upon the effectivity of this Act, without prejudice to their receiving such further increases as may be provided by law or in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Section 7. Any provision of law, rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, no officer or employee already holding office in the said Division on the date of effectivity of this Act shall, by reason thereof, be removed from office or demoted to a lower category or scale of salary, except for cause or upon compliance with due process provided by law.

Section 8. In addition to the appropriations authorized in the current General Appropriations Act for the Judiciary Division and the Courts of First Instance, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act, are hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated, and thereafter the appropriation for the salary of the officials and employees of the Judiciary Division, as well as for its equipment, supplies and traveling expenses, shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act: Provided, however, That the salary differentials resulting from the adjustment of salaries as provided in this Act shall be paid out of the unexpended appropriations authorized for the Judiciary Division and the Courts of First Instance.

Section 9. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Enacted without Executive approval, June 17, 1967.

(1) Examine the administrative business methods and systems employed in the office of the clerks of court and other offices relating to and serving the courts, and make suggestions on necessary improvement;

(2) Collect and compile statistical data and other information on the judicial work of the courts and on the work and other offices related to and serving the courts, and publish periodic reports with respect thereto;

(3) Examine the state of the dockets, secure information as to the courts' need of assistance, and make suggestions or take appropriate steps to expedite litigation;

(4) Prepare and submit budget estimates of appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of the judicial branch;

(5) File requests for permission to spend funds appropriated for the judicial branch, and approve all vouchers for the expenditure of such funds;

(6) Secure and maintain accommodations, and purchase, exchange and distribute equipment and supplies for the judges, clerks and other officers and employees of the courts supported by national appropriations;

(7) Collect and compile statistical data and other information on the expenditures and receipts of the courts and related offices and publish periodic report;

(8) Consult with and assist the clerks of courts and other officers and employees of the courts and offices related to and serving the courts;

(9) Investigate complaints with respect to the operation of the courts and make such recommendations as may be appropriate;

(10) Prepare and publish an annual report on the work of the courts and on the activities relating to court operation;

(11) Require periodic court reports with a view to keeping abreast of the docket situation and immediately derecting signs of developing congestion in particular courts;

(12) Publish and distribute a court journal for the purpose of clarifying court administration procedure and otherwise promoting the exchange of ideas on court management and operation with a view to improving the efficiency of judges; and

(13) Organize and arrange periodic convention among the court staff to promote the free and constructive discussion of court procedures.